Kristin was definitely hiring her. She would be at the Pink Bean regularly. It was simply the way things were. And the very last thing Lou wanted to do was cause a rift in this group. The ones who liked Mia—which turned out to be most of them—against the ones who didn’t—she and Amber—who were unwilling to openly state the reason for their dislike.

“None taken. I mean, I grew out of my job behind that coffee machine in no time,” Micky said. “Although, strangely, I do miss it sometimes. Not the getting up early, of course, but just being in the Pink Bean, hanging out with my buddy Josephine.”

“Meeting hot ladies who order wet cappuccinos,” Jo said.

“Just the one was fine with me,” Micky said. “But really, working at the Pink Bean has changed my life.”

“Opening the place has changed ours,” Kristin said.

“We wouldn’t know most of you if we hadn’t,” Sheryl said. “Although my hackles did go up once Kristin started talking about expansion and a liquor license and a new store.”

“But that’s why we have Mia,” Kristin said.

“She can get quite obsessive about new projects, to the point that she neglects her wifely duties.” Sheryl grinned at Lou.

Lou felt a mild blush creep up her cheeks. The Pink Bean might be a magical place for all of them, but it was decidedly not for Lou.

“Oh, stop it, you.” Kristin patted Sheryl on the knee.

The banter continued, and Lou enjoyed being part of it, but she couldn’t help but think it would all be so much easier if it wasn’t for Mia Miller.

After the brief chat with Mia and the previous night’s jolliness between the Pink Bean owners and a few of its patrons, Lou didn’t feel so uneasy about going into the coffee shop. Mia never served her, anyway, and Lou was usually with Amber, who seemed to be warming up to Mia a little of late.

Lou hadn’t spoken to her boss about Mia again, figuring she had already been enough of a nuisance to Amber. Apparently Mia was really helping Amber out. Some of the people in her classes were only there because of the ads Mia had set up. That was probably why Amber threw Mia a smile now and again and, earlier when they’d just arrived, had struck up a short conversation with Mia.

“I have to go,” Amber said to Lou. “I’m meeting with a new ecological towel laundry service who want to flaunt their wares at me. Are you going to be all right on your own? You can always join me, if you like that sort of thing.”

“I dislike sales pitches from the bottom of my heart,” Lou said. She cast a glance at Mia who was sitting at a table working on her laptop. “Besides, I can always leave.”